Women Wedding Suits

Can I wear black to a wedding? And what does "formal attire" really mean? ?

I'm going to a wedding; it's at 4pm on a Sunday. The invitation says formal attire. To me, semi-formal means men in suits, and I would wear some knee-length sheath style dress. Black tie would mean men in tuxes, women in floor length gowns. "Formal" means men in suits, women in... what? I tried to ask the bride, and she said "just wear black, you'll be fine". I thought you weren't supposed to wear black to a wedding. And it still doesn't answer the question of dress length. I thought I'd get something mid-calf or just above the ankle, but I can't find that. I only find just-above-the-knee or floor length.

Public Comments

1. that means you dress better than you normally would and no black is not ok.
2. Um... I think she was being sarcastic. You don't wear black to weddings. Period. LOLZZZ
3. wear a black maybe like knee length, or a little shorter(depending on your style) dress, i wouldnt got for floor length, but thats just me,and maybe some colorful jewelry.
4. It's her wedding. If she wants you to wear black, wear black. Formal means nothing shorter than tea length, which is mid calf. As it is in the evening, it really should be to the ankle. And the fabric is important. Formal means silk or satin, no cottons or polyesters. And hose with heels. No open sandals or slip ons.
5. Formal is usually floor length but why did she say just wear black? That's the question. Don't go with shiny. That's always tacky at formal events. Silk is fine as long as it's not shiny and looks cheap.
6. Black is very social acceptable these days for weddings. My bridesmaids wore black dresses in my wedding and i have worn black before. Wearing black to a wedding doesn't make it "gothic" or morbid. You can make black look very classy....especially with a set of pearls and a cute pair of heals! Formal attire generally means suit/tie and cocktail dresses. (in my opinion)
7. Wear a cocktail dress. Black is fine for evening weddings.
8. you certainly can wear black to a wedding. very sophisticated and chic. i mean we're not talking funeral black with the veil and black stockings and tears~but most gals own a little black dinner/cocktail dress~however to me formal means men in black tie and women in gowns~as for your comment that you can't find a dress in the appropriate length, i don't know where you live but in our end of the world there is a good selection of mid-calf and just below the knee dresses~so keep looking. no sundresses or flirty skirts! no cotton or denim! if you don't want to wear a dress or buy a long gown then look at palazzo pants and a dressy top! always looks good and they come in black as well as other colors. comfie and formal looking with the right top, chunky jewellery or pearls! anyway formal means no matter what your dress style wearing pantyhose is mandatory, no bare legs. dress shoes and your hair done~talk to a couple of other guests and see what they are wearing that will give you a good idea as to what you should wear. good luck and have fun.
9. I agree with you. Black tie would be tuxes and gowns. Formal to me means a suit for guys, and a nice dress for ladies. Remember, womens clothing covers a wider variety than mens, so when choosing a dress just use common sense. I dont believe there is a rule about length, and a lot of people are wearing black to weddings these days.
10. well for one thing, knee length should be easy to find since its in style. i would say a black dress (since thats what the bride said to wear) and some heels that pop. like red or hot pink. im bet they put formal rather than semi-formal because some people still interpret semi-formal as jeans and a nice shirt. here are a couple suggestions http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2994818/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014148?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014148&P=1 http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=50434&CatID=64330&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=14f26c3&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CmCatId=50434|50444|64329|64330 http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=dress%5Fdressy&product%5Fid=2054522763&Page=all here are 3 suggestions in 3 different price ranges, good luck! edit: you CAN wear black to a wedding as long as you have something else on you that is colorful. also to "do not buy" who on earth wears hose anymore???? as long as you are under 40-don't wear hose!
11. "Formal" for a wedding means a cocktail-length or a simple long dress for women. This isn't a state dinner with rules of protocol. It sounds like "formal" to the bride means a cocktail dress, so that's something easy that you can wear. "No black at weddings" went out the window a long time ago - black is a chic, dressy, and almost universally flattering color. All the people who are saying "No black LOLZ!!!" are probably about 15 years old. I was in a wedding recently and we (the bridesmaids) all wore black, and many of the guests did as well. I went to four other weddings this summer and all of them had female guests in black cocktail dresses. They looked fabulous and not a single person thought it was out of place. If you have a little black cocktail dress, that will be perfect. Throw on a great pair of heels and some good jewelry and you'll be dressed exactly right. Don't worry too much about formal vs. semi-formal. Unless you're dining with the Queen of England, there really isn't much difference.